1. Parts to purchase

In order to begin your drone lab, first step is to purchase the components required to build a drone/ quadcopter. Necessary components for the quadcopter include the on-board companion computer, flight controller, battery and our Otus tracker. The frame we recommend is the Quanum Outlaw 270 Racing Drone Frame Kit as it provides enough space for the companion computer, flight controller, otus tracker and so on. A 250 drone frame is likely the minimum size to fit all 3 of these components, but you may need a larger frame if your drone carries an additional payload.

The following table (1.1) lists all items required to be purchased along with a description, as well as the minimum quantity we recommend to purchase. Many times than not, parts may come faulty or break, which will result in a lot of time lost waiting for new parts to be delivered. The quantity we recommend should allow for the construction of 2 quadcopters however it is up to you to determine the quantity.

This is the flight controller for the Quadcopter. The flight controller consists of sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, compass, etc... that is critical for navigation and control. The flight controller also allows you to interface with camera sensors a2nd GPS. NOTE: Be sure to purchase the mRo Classic Power Module (BEC) w/ Adapter [for additional $20.00]. The flight controller will come its own 8gb microSD card that we will custom flash the firmware to.

The Otus tracker is the tracker to be installed on the quadcopter and it comes with all auxiliary components such as the wireless USB dongle, the power cable and mounting components. The RCBenchmark tracking lab is software used to record and stream data wirelessly to ROS, python, C++. The Vive base stations act as the sensors for motion capture using the Otus tracker. Similar to Indoor GPS. For more information, please refer to https://www.rcbenchmark.com/otus-tracker/

(Optional) Power supply for the quadcopter when not in flight. The batteries can only supply power to the entire quadcopter for ~ 40 minutes. This power supply may provide useful depending on your circumstances.